SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday renewed calls for the government to resume loudspeaker broadcasts along the inter-Korean border to protest against recent mine blasts in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and to replace top security officials here over the incident that left three South Korean soldiers injured.
The PPP accused President Lee Jae Myung of failing to take action over the Sept. 21 blasts, which the South Korean military determined to have been caused by mines planted "deliberately" by North Korea.
"The president has described North Korea's nuclear weapons as a 'last resort of defense,' even when the North has explicitly stipulated preemptive nuclear strikes under its law on nuclear forces policy," PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig wrote on Facebook.
Jeong Jeom-sig, floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party, speaks during a meeting of the party at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 20, 2026. (Yonhap)
"How can we even consider retaking wartime operational control (OPCON) when the commander-in-chief cannot even tell the difference between an attack and defense, or between a land mine provocation and an 'unfortunate accident?'" he added.
Rep. Jeong called for the immediate resignation of Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok, accusing them of "peddling false peace" through their pro-North Korea views.
Opposition lawmakers have continued to criticize the government's response to the explosions since Lee described the blasts as an "unfortunate accident" during a ceremony marking the 78th Armed Forces Day earlier this month.
In a commentary, PPP senior spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon called for a stronger response to the North amid renewed threats from Pyongyang.
"The military should immediately resume loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North to dismantle the North Korean regime's false propaganda and spread the truth to its people," he said. "We strongly urge the Lee administration to stop such acts of self-harm that undermine national security before it is too late."
PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok also accused the Lee administration of pursuing policies favorable to North Korea during a party leadership meeting, warning that the Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas will become a "launchpad" for North Korea's nuclear weapons.
North Korea has repeatedly denied responsibility for the land mine explosions.
In a fresh warning Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said loudspeakers for propaganda broadcasts against South Korea will be ready within days.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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